Updated Thursday 1200 with a statement by the Social Welfare Ministry.

The Social Welfare Ministry said on Thursday it would hold consultations on legal amendments involving psychologists before a bill advanced further in the parliamentary process.

The ministry was reacting after concerns were voiced on Wednesday that unskilled and unprepared psychologists, social workers and counsellors may be able to treat vulnerable patients if the proposed legal amendments go through. 

The government is proposing amendments to the laws governing social workers, counsellors and psychologists. Planned changes include broadening the qualification criteria for psychologists that the warranting board is authorised to recognise.

But associations representing all three professions said they had not been consulted over the changes and they expressed their “great concern”. 

The bill was tabled in parliament in late June by Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon. Stakeholders within the sector only got wind of it this week, as it reached second reading stage.

In a statement, the Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) – that includes the  Maltese Association of Social Workers, Malta Chamber of Psychologists and Malta Association for the Counselling Profession - called on the authorities to “listen to the expert advice of professionals within their respective field”.

“The Federation is willing to contribute to a discussion towards any necessary amendments, and therefore, asks the government and the opposition to consult with the respective professional organisations before proceeding with further discussions in parliament and final voting. MFPA stresses that the wellbeing of all citizens should be at the forefront and that they deserve to have professionals with the necessary and right qualifications that ensure a safe service, especially to vulnerable people,” the federation said.

Broader criteria for psychologists 

In the case of the psychology profession, the bill proposes broadening the qualification criteria that the warranting board is authorised to recognise.  “It is also not clear to MFPA why the bill is proposing changes to the recognition of qualifications for the psychology profession.

The Malta Chamber of Psychologists, which is also the psychologists’ union, was totally unaware of such a proposal,” the federation said.

Sources said that, over the years there were requests to approve warrants by people who studied abroad and whose qualifications were not recognised in Malta.

The amendments would mean that such people would get their warrant either through the broader criteria or by appealing. The bottom line would be that vulnerable patients in Malta would be exposed to people who did not have the skills and this was to the detriment of the patients and the profession. 

Questions were raised over whether this was being done to appease specific individuals. In fact, in the statement, the federation questioned: “Considering that most bills often take months to be read and discussed, why this bill is being given so much importance to be hastily presented?”

A government-picked appeals’ board

The amendments, which have gone through the second reading in Parliament on Tuesday, also propose setting up an appeals committee for each of the three professions. It would have the power to cancel, revoke or substitute decisions taken by the warranting boards.

The people making up the new appeal board will be hand-picked by the minister and will include: a chairperson (a lawyer with over five years’ experience), a registered professional with over five years’ experience, and another member.

The wellbeing of all citizens should be at the forefront... they deserve to have professionals with the necessary and right qualifications that ensure a safe service, especially to vulnerable people.

The federation said that, while it did not object to the concept of setting up an appeals board as “any individual has a right to appeal to a decision”, the proposed composition  “means that only one out of three members would be coming from the concerned profession”.

“Moreover, this draft gives the power to the Appeals Committee to overrule any decision made by the Warranting Board, weakening the purpose of the Warranting Board itself,” the federation said.

Meanwhile a member of the Malta Psychology Profession Board that issues the warrants said it was “currently seeking internal redress to the issue and is sure that the minister in question is willing to engage in consultation with the Board appointed by none other than his good self.”

Faculty's concerns

The Faculty for Social Wellbeing expressed its concerns about the proposed amendments in a statement on Thursday and said the Bill was moved in parliament without the consultation that it merited.   

Noting the vague criteria on the composition of the committees, the faculty said the proposed constitution of these committees undermines each profession's capacity to self-regulate, because the proposed boards – composed of an advocate, a professional and an unspecified third member – means that the appeals are governed by a board in which each of the profession concerned is a minority.

"While the faculty agrees with the possibility of appeal, good governance requires that appeals committees are constituted in line with strictly regulated criteria or they may undermine the very laws they purport to represent."

The faculty heads, deputy deans and dean said they support the position by the Malta Federation of Professional Associations and the Chamber of Psychologists.

In its statement on Thursday the Social Welfare Ministry said it was pleased that everyone agreed on the need for an appeals board and said it would holding consultations with all concerned parties on the bill before it moved forward,